The Board reserves the right to require a current employee or applicant for employment (after a conditional offer of employment), to submit to a fitness for duty examination by a qualified healthcare provider to determine the employee or applicant’s ability to meet the qualification standards and perform the essential functions of a position an application is being considered for or an employee is performing ("FFD exam"). A FFD examination shall be done in accordance with the Superintendent’s guidelines and the examiner shall be provided with specific essential functions of the position in question.

Reports of all FFD examinations shall be delivered to the Superintendent or a named designee, who shall protect the confidentiality of the FFD exam report and its contents. In agreeing to perform the FFD exam, the healthcare provider and the examinee shall agree that no treatment relationship or privileged communication shall occur between the FFD examiner and the applicant or employee. The report of the examiner may be shared with the employee or candidate and made a part of a personnel record on the examinee maintained by the Board. However, the report shall be filed separately from an applicant/employee’s other personnel documents so that the report and related documents are accessible only to the Superintendent and specific designees. Failure to protect the confidentiality of a FFD exam report and related documents shall be a basis for discipline of an employee permitting the disclosure.

In the event of a report of a condition that could adversely impact the examinee’s performance of an essential function of the position occupied or applied for, the Superintendent shall base a recommendation to the Board on the examinee’s employment on the assessment of the healthcare provider who conducted the FFD exam as to whether the examinee will be able to meet the qualification standards and perform or continue to perform the essential functions of the position in question.

Employees and applicants referred for a FFD exam will be required to execute a release that complies with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in order to allow the results of the healthcare provider’s FFD exam to be released to the Board/Superintendent and to allow the Superintendent to speak to the health care provider who conducted the FFD examination if clarification is needed (see Form 4160 F2).

In compliance with the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and Board Policy 4122.02, a FFD examiner shall be advised not to seek, collect, or report genetic information, including the candidate’s family medical history.

The cost of a FFD exam shall be paid for by the Board. An employee shall be paid for the time required for the FFD exam and for travel at the per mile rate established by the Board. A candidate for employment shall not be eligible for mileage reimbursement.

The report of the healthcare provider performing the FFD exam shall be the property of the Board and shall be exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (I.C. 5-14-3). A FFD exam report and related documents will be maintained in a separate confidential personnel file in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).